Spanish Treasure Fleet (Pirates)

The Spanish Treasure Fleet was the nickname for a fleet of Pirates led by Eduardo Villanueva (1683-17??) during the 1700s. The Spanish Treasure Fleet was enemies with the Barbary States and the Capitane Chevalle's fleet.

History
The "Spanish Treasure Fleet" was named for the Spanish Treasure Fleet which was a part of the Spanish Navy, carrying gold from Mexico to the Iberian Peninsula. Led by Spanish pirate Eduardo Villanueva, it was given rights to plunder merchant ships in the Adriatic Sea, and it smuggled raw gold from Morocco to Turkey. However, it also extended operations to Mexico, taking gold from Mexico and sailing to Pirate enclaves in Spain. Its ships were constantly attacked by Barbary States corsairs and Capitaine Chevalle, and Villanueva made a rivalry with the two pirate lords.

In the 1740s Villanueva was in a state of semi-retirement, but his fleets continued to fight against merchant ships. By the time the Golden Age of Piracy ended in the 1750s, they had disappeared.